Oil which is spilled on water has been called the most expensive oil in the world. The cost of removing such oil is not only becoming ever more expensive, but the expenses of repairing damage to shorelines, boats and wildlife is likewise considerable. One major piece of equipment contributing to these increased costs is the skimmer employed for removing oil from water. There has been a trend toward building more sophisticated special purpose skimmers for use in coastal waters. These are specially built boats fitted with oil removal devices. Their construction is such that they are not usually suitable for other work and many of them must be maintained year round in port. As the search for oil has moved into deeper and more treacherous waters, these vessels have become much larger to accommodate the higher sea states, and consequently, much more costly. Much of this cost is for the vessel itself rather than for the actual oil recovery equipment. The high initial cost of the special purpose skimmer and cost of maintaining it, of course, limit the number of these units available. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a more cost effective approach to oil spill recovery. It is desirable to develop portable skimming devices that fit on vessels of convenience, work boats, supply boats, fishing vessels, etc., which lessen the need for specially constructed vessels and significantly increase the amount of available spill recovery equipment reasonably close to the spill location.